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Cats and Dogs by Charley Harper

The artist Charley Harper was a Modern Minimalist, renowned for his ability to capture quirky aspects of birds and animals in the wild through his use of precise geometry. But, Charley loved domesticated animals as well, and today here at Fabulous Frames & Art, we’d like to show you some of his personality-filled prints of dogs and cats.

The cats Charley depicted include a calico, tabby, and a Siamese. The dog breeds that appear in these prints include the beagle, bulldog, springer spaniel, Irish setter, basset hound, collie, and the Portuguese water dog, which the kind of dog owned by the Obama family.

Catnip by Charley Harper

Along Came a Spider by Charley Harper

Blue Jay Patrol by Charley Harper

Basset Hound by Charley Harper

Collie by Charley Harper

Portuguese Waterdog by Charley Harper

Springer Spaniel by Charley Harper

Irish Setter by Charley Harper

Beagle by Charley Harper

Claws by Charley Harper

Improbable Pair by Charley Harper

Tree'd by Charley Harper

Charley Harper was born in Frenchton, West Virginia in 1922, and studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, where he met his wife, the artist Edie Harper. During his long and distinguished career, he illustrated numerous books, including The Golden Book of Biology, magazines such as Ford Times, as well as many prints, posters, murals, and other works. His work focused on the natural environment, and Harper often created works for nature-based organizations, among them the National Park Service; Cincinnati Zoo; Cincinnati Nature Center; Hamilton County, Ohio Park District; and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania.

Harper was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters and book illustrations. He called his style Minimal Realism, capturing the essence of his subjects with the fewest possible visual elements. Using graphic shapes and bold colors, Harper distilled and simplified complex elements. His nature-oriented artwork is often contrasted with the realism of John James Audubon and the simplicity found in Inuit Art.